Quark to InDesignCS3 Conversion Guide - InDesign User Group

how do I flow text along a path?
The process of flowing text along
a path is different in InDesign and
in QuarkXPress. In QuarkXPress,
you must use the Text Path tools,
and you can run text along straight
or curved lines only and not along
closed paths. InDesign lets you
use any object as a path for type.
The first step in creating a type path
in InDesign is to create the object
that will be the path. You can use
any of the drawing tools, and you
can create an open or a closed shape.
After you’ve created an object,
choose the Type On A Path
tool, which is paired with
the Type tool in the Tools
panel, and then move the pointer
over a path. A plus sign (+) is displayed
when the pointer is over any
part of the path of the object. When
the plus sign is displayed, click anywhere
on the path. When you release
the mouse button, the blinking text
insertion point indicates where text
will be placed when you enter or
import text. If you click and drag
the pointer along the path before
you release the mouse button, text
flows only along the part of the path
on which you clicked and dragged.
If you select a path type with the
Selection tool, the path’s bounding
box and resizing handles are displayed.
In and out ports are also displayed,
which means you can thread
text into and out of a path type, and
you can thread text between a path
type and a text frame, and vice versa.
Three bracket lines are displayed on
a type path: one at each end, and a
shorter one at the midpoint. Click
and drag these bracket lines to adjust
the placement of type along the path.
To change the shape of a path type,
select the Direct Selection tool, and
click and drag points or segments.
how can I modify type along a path?
When path type is selected, choosing
Type > Type On A Path > Options
displays the Path Type Options
dialog box. (You can also use the
context menu to open the Path Type
Options dialog box.) You can choose
any of five Effect options: Rainbow,
Skew, 3D Ribbon, Stairstep, and
Gravity. Other controls let you specify
the placement of the type relative
to the path and the spacing of characters
around corners and angles.
the type On A Path tool
lets you use any object
as a path for type, and
you can use any of the
program’s typographic
features to format type
on a path.
Combining Text and Graphics 65